7th A-State men’s basketball player enters transfer portal

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - More Red Wolves are exploring their options after Arkansas State head men’s basketball coach Mike Balado was fired.

Just five days after Balado was dismissed, Caleb Fields announced that he will be entering the transfer portal. Fields has anchored the Red Wolves’ backcourt for each of the past four seasons, logging 107 starts and scoring 1,194 points in his A-State career (16th-best in program history). The Tennessee native also dished out 476 assists, tied with Marquis Eaton for third-most in program history.

Fields wasn’t the only Red Wolf to enter the portal Tuesday. Caleb London Tweeted he’ll be exploring his options. The Conway native played in 23 games in 2020-21 but struggled with injury and played just 7 combined games over the past two seasons.

Izaiyah Nelson announced Friday afternoon that he’s entering the transfer portal. The freshman led A-State with 44 blocks and was 2nd with 164 rebounds. Nelson scored in double figures in 5 games, including an 11-point, 11 board performance in February against South Alabama. The Georgia native played in 33 games, recording 18 starts.

Two more players entered the portal over the weekend, including one with significant minutes played. Sophomore Julian Lual played in 32 games, starting 10 for the Red Wolves. Lual averaged 5 points per game but added value on the defensive end. Another sophomore Nicolas Tingling followed suit.

Alaaeddine Boutayeb is also entering the transfer portal. The 7′2″ forward battled injuries, appearing in 15 games this season. Boutayeb’s best performance was a 10 point, 3 rebound outing in November against Lyon.

Freshman guard Terrance Ford entered the transfer portal on Thursday. He electrified in his debut season for the Red Wolves, leading all Sun Belt freshmen by averaging 10.8 points per game. Terrance played in 32 games this season, logging 15 starts. As the season progressed, so did the Chicago native, leading the Sun Belt in three-point percentage in conference play (48.4 percent).

A future Red Wolf is exploring his options. Caleb Byrd announced Thursday night that he’s entering the transfer portal. The JUCO guard signed with Arkansas State last November. Byrd played for Eastern Florida State College this season, he started his career in D1 at Jacksonville State.

A-State Men’s Basketball Offseason:

TRANSFER PORTAL

IN PORTAL

• Caleb Fields (Jr.)
• Terrance Ford (Fr.)
• Izaiyah Nelson (Fr.)
• Caleb London (Fr.)
• Alaaeddine Boutayeb (Fr.)
• Julian Lual (Soph.)
• Nicolas Tingling (Soph.)

CURRENT RETURNERS

• Avery Felts (Soph.)
• Malcolm Farrington (Soph.)
• Antwon Jackson (Soph.)
• Mak Manciel (Soph.)
• Detrick Reeves (Soph.)
• Parker St. Pierre (Fr.)

GRADUATED

• Markise Davis
• Omar El-Sheikh
• Dylan Arnette

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